Bill Nighy returns as Charles Paris: unsuccessful actor, bad husband, and dipsomaniac. Desperately in need of work, having been kicked out of his marital home, Charles jumps at playing a missing property developer in a crime-reconstruction program. But the missing person case soon turns to murder when severed body parts begin to appear.

BBC Radio Crimes: A Charles Paris Mystery: The Dead Side of the Mic

Actor and reluctant sleuth Charles Paris is facing chaos on the domestic front. He's lodging with his ex-wife Frances, and now their pregnant daughter has moved in as well. It's all a bit much.... So he is over the moon when he lands a job on the BBC Radio Rep - but the ink is barely dry on his contract when a murder takes place in Broadcasting House. A young female studio manager is found dead in an editing suite, and Charles steps in to investigate....

Charles Paris: An Amateur Corpse (Dramatised): BBC Radio Crimes

Bill Nighy stars as Charles Paris in this BBC Radio 4 full-cast adaptation of Simon Brett's comic crime novel An Amateur Corpse. Charles is out of work again, and to make matters worse his mother has come to stay and he's no way of escaping her. So when he's offered some voiceover work by old friend, Hugo, he's delighted to get out of the house. But Hugo's marriage is in trouble: his much younger wife, Ellie, spends all her time at her Amateur Dramatic Group, and Hugo is drinking too much.

Charles Paris: Murder in the Title (BBC Radio Crimes)

Charles Paris is his own worst enemy, a louche lush who can resist anything except temptation - especially in the form of women and alcohol. He's been out of work so long now he feels he may never get a job and he's driving Frances, his semi-ex-wife, mad. So when he's offered a small role in a play, she nearly pushes him out of the door. But it seems that 'The Message is Murder' is such a terrible production that someone wants to kill off the cast.

Charles Paris: Corporate Bodies (BBC Radio Crimes)

A BBC Radio 4 full-cast adaptation of Simon Brett's comic murder mystery, starring Bill Nighy as the irrepressible Charles Paris. Charles Paris (unsuccessful actor, bad husband, dipsomaniac) is currently appearing as a fork lift operator in a corporate video. It's not prime-time television or a major film, but it seems like easy money - until the fork lift is used to commit a murder. When Charles himself comes under suspicion, he decides to find out for himself who the murderer is.

Charles Paris: Murder Unprompted: BBC Radio Crimes

Bill Nighy stars as Charles Paris in a BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation of Simon Brett's novel. Charles Paris is understudying in a West End production whose star, Michael Banks, seems unable to master the script. Has Charles time to solve a murder, win Frances' heart and make it onstage by the time the curtain goes up?

A BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation of Simon Brett's entertaining crime novel, starring Bill Nighy. Charles Paris has been resting for quite a while, so he's relieved when he is cast as Ghost of Hamlet's Father and First Gravedigger in a touring production of Hamlet. But rehearsals are a little tense - the lead roles of Hamlet and Ophelia are played by a reality TV contestant and TV talent show winner respectively, and their opinions on celebrity and the theatre differ somewhat from those of the more experienced members of the cast.

Baldi: Series 1

On sabbatical from the Franciscan order, Father Paolo Baldi is working as a philosophy lecturer in Dublin when his life takes an unexpected turn and he finds himself helping the police to solve crimes. In this first series, Father Paolo Baldi and his accomplice Tina investigate a string of mysterious crimes, including a murder at an Italian chip shop, the killing of a leading academic and a girl who falls victim to a devil-worshipping cult.

Mrs Pargeter's Principle

For Mrs Pargeter, it is a matter of principle that she should complete any of her late husband's unfinished business. Amongst his many bequests, perhaps the most valuable is his little black book, in which he listed all the people who ever worked for him, with details of their particular skill sets. This means that whenever Mrs P has a crime to solve, she can readily contact someone with the relevant expertise.

Paul Temple: The Complete Radio Collection: Volume Two: The Fifties

When it comes to classic crime partnerships, Paul Temple (Peter Coke) and his wife, Steve (Marjorie Westbury), are the crème de la crème. Between 1938 and 1968, their glamorous exploits enthralled generations of radio listeners around the world. Here, presented in chronological order, are some of the amateur detective's adventures from the 1950s.

McLevy The Collected Editions: Series 3 & 4: Nine episodes of the BBC Radio 4 series

Brian Cox stars as the Victorian detective in a further nine episodes of the BBC Radio 4 series. Inspired by the real-life memoirs of one of Scotland's first policemen, James McLevy prowls the dark streets of 1860s Edinburgh bringing criminals to justice, with the assistance of Constable Mulholland.

McLevy, the Collected Editions: Part One Pilot, S1-2

Brian Cox stars as the Edinburgh detective in nine episodes of the BBC Radio 4 series. Inspired by the real-life memoirs of a Victorian inspector in Scotland, James McLevy prowls the dark streets of 1860s Edinburgh bringing criminals to justice, with the assistance of Constable Mulholland.

Baldi: Series 2

On sabbatical from the Franciscan order, Father Paolo Baldi is working as a philosophy lecturer in Dublin when his life takes an unexpected turn and he finds himself helping the police to solve crimes. In his second series, Father Baldi investigates a string of curious murders. Along with Tina, Paolo follows a killing in a castle at a celebrity wedding, a high-profile case of a police officer's murder and enters the world of romantic poetry to solve a suspected suicide.

McLevy: The Collected Editions, Series 9 & 10: Eight Episodes of the BBC Radio 4 Crime Drama Series

Eight episodes of the popular BBC Radio 4 Victorian detective drama, starring Brian Cox and Siobhan Redmond. Inspired by the real-life memoirs of one of Scotland's first policemen, this gripping series sees James McLevy prowling the dark streets of 1860s Edinburgh bringing criminals to justice, with the assistance of Constable Mulholland and Lieutenant Roach.

Agatha Christie: The Lost Plays: Three BBC radio full-cast dramas: Butter in a Lordly Dish, Murder in the Mews & Personal Call

A triple bill of archive BBC radio dramas, believed lost for over half a century and only recently rediscovered. "Butter in a Lordly Dish", written specially for radio in 1948, features Richard Williams as Sir Luke Enderby KC, whose infidelities lead him into trouble when he goes to meet his latest flame. Williams also stars as Hercule Poirot in "Murder in the Mews", a 1955 adaptation of a short story. A young woman is found dead in her flat the day after Guy Fawkes night.

Baldi: Series 4

On sabbatical from the Franciscan order, Father Paolo Baldi is working as a philosophy lecturer in Dublin when his life takes an unexpected turn and he finds himself helping the police to solve crimes. In Father Baldi's fourth series, Paolo investigates a string of curious murders. Along with Tina, Paolo looks into the case of a crossword-related murder, the killing of a politically-incorrect figurehead and finds that the death of a homeless man is not as simple as it appears.

The Nine Tailors: Lord Peter Wimsey, Book 11

Stormbound over the New Year at a Fenland rectory, Lord Peter Wimsey willingly lends a hand in the ringing of a New Year's Eve peal of the church bells. Some months later a handless, disfigured corpse is discovered in a fresh grave in the churchyard. Lord Peter receives a plea for help from the rector and embarks on one of his most complicated investigations - for this is not the first crime the village has experienced.

Publisher's Summary

Bill Nighy stars as Charles Paris with Martine McCutcheon as Jodie Ricks in this BBC Radio 4 comedy detective drama. Charles finds himself uncharacteristically employed in a film, having landed the part of Szabec, a middle management vampire in 'The Wreathing'. His co-star is swimwear model turned actress Jodie Ricks and before long, Jodie is using Charles as a confidant. Poor Jodie is in terrible trouble - not only is she being blackmailed over some compromising photos, but she is also carrying the baby of the film's producer, Elliot Roth, who now wants nothing to do with her. Then things take an even nastier turn when it appears that someone is trying to kill Jodie. Always keen to help a damsel in distress, Charles sets about trying to solve the mystery... Starring Bill Nighy and Martine McCutcheon and dramatized by Jeremy Front.

Bill Nighy just makes this character perfect. His style and narration are perfect for the louche, alcoholic actor who never quite gets the break.

Once again, there is a theatrical murder and once again Charles is on the scene - and as is usually the case both his (ex-)wife and a beautiful girl are there to complicate his life further, and to ease him towards his next double, or double-double "Bells".

Once again, his agent seems to be doing a poor job of promoting his talent and/or mis-feeding him with titbits of promising jobs.

Simon Brett has the background to know what a radio crime drama needs to deliver, and I always find that the Charles Paris mystery scenarios, based in the world of thesps, luvvies, impresarios, etc deliver a jolly fun ride for their money!

I'm not going to claim to be a "Miss Marple" myself, but I usually find I can guess some of the plot before the end, but I rarely manage to get it all. However, even being able to (because these types of radio plays don't often have significant depth) doesn't detract from a really good yarn, and I lay a lot of this at the feet of Bill Nighy, as I said at the beginning.

Even when the book isn't narrated by him, or when reading a "dead tree" edition, I find it so easy to imagine the Bill Nighy characterisation, since it fits so well.

Its not a 5-star review, because (a) I am stingy and (b) this isn't a deep piece of fiction, but it is a nice way to pass time in the car or on the train, all the same!

Charles Paris as played by Bill Nighy is having a tricky time. Delighted to be in work, he is stuggling to be inspired by the plot of the film (or his fellow 'actors'). However before long he is caught up in the tangled love life of his co-star Jodie (played by Martine McCutcheon) as well as the tangled love life of his daughter. A great cast and an equally good script (a modern update by Jeremy Front turns Simon Brett's enjoyable novel into an enjoyable radio drama) combine to make a really entertaining listen - undemanding but funny and engaging. I really enjoyed this.

Enjoyed it but as it is a 4 part radio show the credits and music repeated. Makes a change but not like the usual listening book? I hadn't realised it was only a couple of hours long so disappointed to have used a whole credit!

Simon Brett keeps us liking Charles Paris, a well-meaning cad whose acting career never goes so high up the ladder that murder cannot reach him...

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

MillenniumMike

Aurora, IL United States

15/05/12

Overall

Performance

Story

"Very entertaining and enjoyable"

Would you consider the audio edition of A Charles Paris Mystery: Cast in Order of Disappearance (BBC Radio Crimes) to be better than the print version?

I've never read a print version of a Charles Paris Mystery. However, the BBC Radio Crimes productions of the Paris mysteries (this is the second one I've heard) are so well done and enjoyable I'm sure I would prefer listening to reading.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Well, not on the edge of my seat, but the storyline, characters, performances, and overall production quality were excellent and kept me going. Ultimately the solution wasn't as good as I had hoped but the trip to get there was most enjoyable.

Have you listened to any of Bill Nighy and Martine McCutcheon ???s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This is the second one I've heard and I've thoroughly enjoyed them both. The other had a more satisfying solution, but this had even more entertaining dialogue than the other, and both have been most enjoyable in that regard.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Simon Brett, the author, would probably do better with that than me. The title of this book is clever enough -- just go with that.

Any additional comments?

Great entertainment -- keep the Charles Paris productions coming!

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Amazon Customer

San Jose, CA United States

17/09/15

Overall

Performance

Story

"Brilliant, Bill Nighy rocks Charles Paris."

I have listened to this play many times. It is so rich in drama and comedy every time I listen I hear another reference or joke. Fantastic:-)

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

teetah

23/07/15

Overall

Performance

Story

"good"

I enjoyed the story at times it was hard to understand what some characters were saying because they seemed so far away other then that it was great

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Heath

Atlanta Sprawl, Georgia, United States

27/03/15

Overall

Performance

Story

"Great adaptation!"

Top notch production values, and Bill Nighy is, of course, great. I recommend any if the BBC radio Charles Paris mysteries.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Edie M.

California

31/12/14

Overall

"Love-able boozer, good detective ."

Bill Nighy is wonderful as Charles Paris. The dramatization brings Charles' world to life for a listen that is just as good the fourth time as it was the first.

I wish the entire Charles Paris mysteries were dramatized. Can't beat it !

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

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